During October and November 2018, thousands of Central American migrants joined a caravan heading to the United States border. The caravan, assembled through a grassroots social media campaign, left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Oct 12, 2018, and as word spread drew people from Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. They were a mix of those facing political repression and violence, and those fleeing harsh economic conditions in the hope of a better life. Travelling in a caravan offered a degree of safety on a route where migrants have previously disappeared or been kidnapped, and was an alternative to paying high rates to people smugglers.

Migrant caravans travel to the US border at different times each year, but this was the largest in recent memory, with as many as 7,000 travellers, including at least 2,300 children, according to UN agencies. Conditions along the way were gruelling, with people walking around 30km a day, often in temperatures above 30 deg C. The caravan usually set off at around 4am each day to avoid the heat. Like others, this caravan drew condemnation from US President Donald Trump, who made it a focal point of rallies and used it to reiterate his call for tough immigration policies and the building of a border wall.